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Belters and bohemians: Opera Locos @Sadlers_wells

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At the start of the Opera Locos performance, the announcement says that they really are singing. You could be forgiven for wondering that, given the amplification turns up the backing track and the voices so loud that you can't always tell what's real. But this is a mostly harmless and slightly eccentric blend of opera classics fused with the occasional pop classic. However, recognising the pop tunes would help if you were over a certain age. The most recent of them dates back twenty years. It's currently playing at the Peacock Theatre .  Five performers play out a variety of archetype opera characters. There's the worn-out tenor (Jesús Álvarez), the macho baritone (Enrique Sánchez-Ramos), the eccentric counter-tenor (Michaël Kone), the dreamy soprano (María Rey-Joly) and the wild mezzo-soprano (Mayca Teba). Since my singing days, I haven't recognised these types of performers. However, once, I recall a conductor saying he wanted no mezzo-sopranos singing with the s

Scenes from Clapham Common Saturday 15:06

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Pissing on trees in Clapham Common is a popular pasttime since there are more toilets on the common closed and boarded up than open. An AFL event on the common today however had a solution by providing two portaloos... But despite theses valiant attempts by the organisers, man's desire to wee in the open continued...

Customer service at a Clapham shoe repair store...

Man : Your shoes will be ready next week. Paul : Ok that's fine. Man : When would you like to pick them up? Paul : I'll pick them up next Saturday… Man : They will be ready by Wednesday… Paul : Ok then I'll pick 'em up on Wednesday then! Man : And that's £10 deposit too…

Theatre: Sunday in the Park with George (again)

S was in town on Friday so I took him to the third-last performance of Sunday in the Park with George , which also made it the third time I had seen the production. This time with front-row day seats it was a very up close experience. The cast is amazing in this production and there was an incredible chemistry between leads Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell. Russell was in tears at the end of the performance which isn't surprising given the emotional demands of the role, but also perhaps the result that this amazing production closes tonight. It is closing too soon but the full house last night made their appreciation known to the whole cast and production team with cheers and a standing ovation... Oh well, it is time to move on... But at least there is a cast recording available of this production...

Idle Chatter at the Tate Modern Friday...

After a little bit of wine and a bit of jetlag on the part of those around me, a conversation about family, Lutherans and lamingtons ensued...

Scenes from the National Theatre Friday 13:40

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The punters love a free concert, and today was the Puppini Sisters . They have an Andrews Sisters schtick that they take to songs like 'Libertango' and 'I will survive' which was sort of funny and entertaining for a free concert, but they are getting a bit of a following around London and their album is available on iTunes...

Scenes from Southbank Friday 13:32

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Southbank Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . The tourist and the traveller with jetlag...

Idle Tuesday Chatter...

Paul : I think I’m being stalked by a man from the Gujarat province… An : Really? What’s his name? Paul : It’s Parool but I don't know his last name... An : His last name must be Shah as everyone’s name from the Gujarat province ends in Shah... Paul : Really? An : Absolutely. And they call homosexuals Gay Shahs…

Scenes from Leicester Square Tube Monday 22:28

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A religious service was operating on the Piccadilly Line this evening... In the name of the father, the SPAD and TfL, one got home safely...

Scenes from Clapham "The Pavement" Monday 13:04

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After dancing all night by lunchtime Monday one really fancied a tart...

Scenes from Barcode Vauxhall Sunday 22:41

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It was bank holiday weekend so it was the time to be dancing yeah (and to be dazzled by dem pretty lights)...